I was watching Vitalik's "Ethereum in 30 Minutes" and got inspired to write about why Ethereum is so powerful. I’ve condensed it in 3 minutes.

Vitalik highlighted key features of blockchains: they facilitate large-scale consensus, are censorship-resistant, always available, avoid dependence on centralized parties, and enable interactions between people who don’t trust each other.

“Blockchains are great for things that need stability, so there is a good reason why money is the first app,” Vitalik said on stage.

But what makes Ethereum special is its general-purpose platform. Here’s the magic:

Independent Innovation: Anyone can build on Ethereum. It’s an open playground for developers to create without needing permission.

Network Effects: Different applications can talk to each other. Imagine a DAO interacting with Uniswap to invest funds collectively.

Lower Barriers: Building new things on Ethereum is easy. Developers can use open-source frameworks.

Unforeseen Usefulness: This is where it gets exciting. Ethereum ends up far more useful than even the creators imagined.

It’s like creating the smartphone and realizing it can do more than just calls. DeFi, NFTs, DAOs are just the beginning.

Ethereum combines the reliability of blockchains with the flexibility of open source.Vitalik's talk remind us that Ethereum's true power lies in its unforeseen potential.

So anon, what will you build on Ethereum?